To love or not to love, that is the question
Chapter 5: Battle Preparations
Disclaimer: The Draco jokes belong to Sarah and Saskia Preissner.
***
After half an hour, Draco considered it safe to go back into his dorm to change into his normal clothes because he wanted to go to breakfast. Most of his fellow Slytherins had already gone to the Great Hall. Arriving in his dorm, he was pleased to notice that the air was fresh again.
Thank Salazar for the Bonaers, he thought while changing.
Despite all the mess created by the dungbomb, Draco was in quite a good mood when he entered the Great Hall. However, this changed quickly as he realized that almost the whole school was there, staring at him. And as if that wasn't enough, most of them were sniggering or laughing openly and some even pointed their fingers at him, grinning broadly.
What the hell was going on?
"Hey, Malfoy!" Giancarlo Castiglione, a Slytherin sixth-year whom Draco had never quite got along with, called out. "Have you read the Announcements already?"
Draco turned his gaze to the Great Blackboard in a corner of the Great Hall which displayed announcements that were important to the Hogwarts students. Usually, it showed things like dates of Hogsmeade visits or Quidditch games.
Not that day, though.
Next to the traditional 'Lost and Found' - corner there was written in big, golden letters, "JOKE OF THE DAY (AUTHENTIC): At his first attempt to fly on a broomstick, little Draco Malfoy shouts gleefully, 'Hey, Pa, the people look already like Flobberworms from up here! How high am I flying?'
'Three feet, these are Flobberworms,' Malfoy sr. replies."
Draco narrowed his eyes in irritation. Clenching his fists, he pondered how to react. His first idea had been whirling around and yelling at the top of his voice, "Who wrote that? It's a fucking lie!"
But that was probably what everyone expected as they were already laughing at him. He was not going to give them further reasons to ridicule him. Slightly flushed, but otherwise composed, Draco turned around and eyed the other students coolly.
"Whoever wrote this is obviously not able to acquire basic information about the target of their so-called authentic joke. I would certainly never call my father 'Pa', for starters," he said and then sneered himself. "Looks like typical Gryffindor work."
He contemplated briefly whether to return to the Slytherin common room straight away or to stay and have breakfast. Finally, he concluded that a retreat would make him look like a coward and so he went firmly over to the Slytherin Table and took place. However, he was too proud to admit to himself that his hunger might have been the deciding factor and not his bravery. Ah well.
The Gryffindor fourth-year girls were a little disappointed. Okay, the people had laughed at the joke, but they would have done even more so if Malfoy had reacted like a furious little boy, yelling through the whole Hall. What a pity he hadn't.
"Why does he have such a damn good self-composure?" Doria asked rhetorically, visibly annoyed.
"You keep forgetting who he is, no - what he is," Ginny replied serenely. After all, their joke did have success. Only not such a big one they had imagined. "Slytherins do have better self-composure than other people, don't they, Reggie?"
"Well, yeah," her friend admitted.
Ginny went on in the same level tone. "And Malfoy seems to have matured. I bet that in the past, he would have reacted just like we thought he would. But this action hasn't been a total loss. Now we know that we'll be needing something bigger to make him lose control over his temper."
Merry raised an eyebrow. "Temper? What temper? This is the Ice Prince we are talking about."
" 'Ice Prince'?" Doria gave her friend a suspicious glance. Clearly, she considered that term to be too mild for someone they used to call 'slimy git'.
"Hey, that wasn't my idea," Merry started defending herself. She pointed accusingly at Ginny. "She called him that yesterday."
Ginny merely shrugged. She didn't understand what her friends were fussing about. "Why not?" she asked.
"Because that's simply too nice for that Death Eater in waiting, that's why," Doria replied sharply. "Honestly, girl - 'Why not?' How can you ask something like that?"
Ginny was fed up. She hated being talked to so superiorly.
"Oh, it's pretty simple, really," she responded with heavy sarcasm. "I just raise my voice a little at the end of a sentence to make the sentence sound inquiring."
The others merely looked at her and then began to occupy themselves silently with their food, showing that they disagreed with her attitude.
Ginny sighed. "What I was trying to say, is that we shouldn't let our feelings participate in this. If you hate a person, you give them power over yourselves. Indifference is much safer. Prevents you from doing stupid things," she told her friends patiently.
She had had time to think over her original attitude and had resolved not to waste any emotion on Malfoy. He wasn't worth it.
Merry grinned, at ease again. "Honestly, anyone would think you were the one with a brother in Slytherin," she announced.
Ginny chuckled. "Don't let Ron hear that. He'd be revolted," she warned and her dorm-mates laughed at that image. Ron Weasley - a Slytherin! That would be like Snape being Head of Gryffindor.
Back in her good mood, Miranda called out loudly, so that the whole Gryffindor Table could hear her, "Now, guys, does anyone know how to make Draco Malfoy's brain as big as a pea?"
Grinning, the Gryffindors turned their faces to her in anticipation.
"You pump it up!" Merry shouted and was awarded with laughing and cheers. "And what happens if he swallows a fly?" she posed another question to her house-mates.
"Then he'll have more brains in his stomach than in his head," Ginny answered in a clear, but derisive voice.
The Gryffindors cheered even more and Ron exchanged surprised glances with Harry and Hermione at Ginny's reply that had been rather unusual for her. The Ginny he was used to wouldn't have said anything in front of such a crowd, much less something witty.
***
Draco was sipping his pumpkin juice while watching the laughing Gryffindors with narrowed eyes. There were many people who were likely to play such a prank on him, but he was positively sure that this had been Ginny Weasley's job. She and her friends were now entertaining the whole Table - no doubt with further jokes about him. Whatever. They might have won a battle, but they had virtually no long-term lasting hope to win the war. This was his realm. After all, making other people miserable was something he was good at, Draco thought, though not without a hint of bitterness.
***
Draco spent the whole Sunday in the common room, brooding over a good plan to get back at Weasley and co. for the humiliation they had served him for breakfast. His bad mood was increasing because he was apparently having a creativity block. Absolutely no ideas. Well, maybe he should start with Rule no. 1 in being successful in a war: Get to know your enemy. He had come to realize that he knew almost nothing about Ginny Weasley, and even less than that about her room-mates. But who could he ask - and more importantly - who would actually give him a satisfying answer to such a question?
Observation by himself was almost impossible - they were a year younger than him, so the only times he could get near them would be at meals.
And not even there because a Slytherin raises suspicion when he or she comes nearer than ten feet to the Gryffindor Table, he thought sourly.
Therefore, his hands were bound. Draco wouldn't give up, though. He would let others do what he couldn't, as always, he thought, sweeping his gaze over the people in the common room.
"I need a fourth year who will be loyal to me… somebody who will do everything I say… and who won't start pitying Weasley," he mused and rested his eyes on a girl's head bent over some star-charts. Laura Baddock. Yes, that was the ideal choice. She was intelligent enough, pretty (which meant he wouldn't have to look away when he talked to her, like it was with most of the fifth-year girls) and she fancied him. Ergo, she would do what he wanted, especially if it was against Gryffindors. Laura had adopted all the usual prejudices as soon as she had entered Slytherin House.
Draco walked slowly over to the black-haired girl and stopped at her side. Laura was enthralled with that star-chart of hers and didn't notice him until he cleared his throat. The girl jumped, thrown out of her concentration. She looked up and her cheeks coloured slightly at the sight of the boy she had fallen for two years ago.
Draco flashed a smile. "Hi, Laura."
"Er, hi Draco," she replied a little timidly, wondering why he suddenly bothered to talk to her. He had never noticed her before.
However, that wasn't entirely true. Draco had noticed the looks she had been giving him and he had found it quite amusing. As he had had no interest in Laura herself, he had proceeded to ignore her. But now, things were different.
Draco lowered his voice so that only Laura could hear him. "Listen, beautiful, I need your assistance in a very important matter," he whispered conspiratorially, deliberately using the flattering term. "You are the only one who can help me."
Laura's brown eyes lightened up as he had expected they would. That was easy, Draco thought, pleased with himself. He was positively certain that he couldn't have found a better spy.
"I assume you have some classes together with the Gryffindors, don't you?" he asked.
Laura nodded. "Yes, Transfiguration and History of Magic."
"Very good. I would like to entrust you an important task," Draco continued, looking deep into Laura's eyes and turning his charm on.
The girl was helpless. Abandoning all her Slytherin pride and mistrust, she gestured him to elaborate. Her eyes were shining with delight that Draco had chosen her to confide in.
"You know," he explained quietly, "I need information about Virginia Weasley and her friends. The 'Why?' is not your business. However, I think you would be the ideal person to give me such. You know, some useful facts like their weaknesses, what they like and don't like and so on. Do you feel up to it?"
Laura nodded again, firmly. "Of course. That won't be difficult. They always discuss various things in History of Magic, I'll just sit behind them and listen."
Draco didn't look all that enthusiastic at her words. "Yeah, but make sure they also talk about things I want to know," he reminded her, shooting her a meaningful glance.
"Certainly, Draco," Laura replied quickly, not wanting to displease him. "Trust me."
Another one of his irresistible smiles. Laura stifled a dreamy sigh.
"Where is your pride, woman!" she scolded herself silently and tried to remember that he might have a fascinating smile, but also a rather scrawny body and an attitude that was better left unmentioned. He was also extremely impatient, a fact that got demonstrated by his next words.
"I hope you will have the information as soon as possible," Draco interrupted her thoughts. "I don't like waiting."
He looked as if he was about to leave.
No, wait! Laura thought, wanting to be in his vicinity. Draco Malfoy might be an emaciated bastard, but he was handsome in his way and his deodorant was so…alluring.
"Er, I can give you their names as a first," she told him quickly, pushing those thoughts away with effort. " You probably don't know them, do you?"
No, he didn't. Draco hadn't considered their names very important, but you never knew. He motioned her to proceed.
"Okay. There's Virginia Weasley whom you already know, then Leticia de Valladares, the Spanish girl and Doria Wilkinson, that's the one who acts as if she was better than everyone else - they call her 'the Queen' sometimes. Then you have Miranda Davenport - she's quite hyperactive - and Regina Castiglione, Giancarlo's sister.
Draco frowned at her last words. Castiglione wouldn't be pleased if he did something to his sister. Ah well. His focus would be primarily on Weasley anyway. The others were rather unimportant.
He gave Laura a brief nod and went away to resume his usual seat next to the fireplace. Now he would have to wait a few days until he would have some more information. The he was going to take action. Draco grinned to himself, beginning to like that feeling of having something new and exciting to focus on. Even Potter wasn't so important now. If his father wanted to know his weaknesses, the he should bloody find out by himself. Draco had more pressing matters at hand. Not to mention that they were more enjoyable.
8>O<8
Meanwhile, Ginny and her friends were in their dorm, discussing the Malfoy matter yet again.
"Quidditch practise will begin next week," Doria mused. "What if we tried to do something to his broomstick?"
"Yeah," Merry added, contemplating the idea for a moment. "A Rocking Hex, or a permanent Impediment Jinx or something else that would make it uncontrollable…"
Suddenly, Ginny got the vision of Malfoy's broomstick stopping in mid-air during a game while he was diving for the Snitch. Another image came, featuring the boy being shaken off by his broom for no apparent reason. Both scenes ended with Malfoy lying motionless on the Quidditch pitch, presumably with a broken neck. And to her surprise, Ginny found the thought rather disturbing. In fact, those images were giving her a distinct ill feeling.
Shaking her head, she consoled herself silently that it didn't mean she was starting to turn soft on Malfoy. It merely showed that she was a normal human being who didn't wish other people's death. However, the others seemed to do exactly that.
Ginny cleared her throat. "Um, maybe sabotaging Malfoy's broom isn't such a good idea," she objected somewhat hesitantly.
Leticia arched a perfectly shaped eyebrow. "You'll forgive me for saying that, Ginny dear, but for somebody who wanted to take revenge on Blondie Boy so badly, you seem to display a shocking amount of consideration of his welfare," she pointed out.
Ginny bristled at her hidden accusation, trying to push the voice out of her mind which kept saying that the fact that Leticia's words had made Ginny feel so indignant implied that the other girl might be right.
"I have personally sent the dungbomb to him," Ginny defended herself.
"The dungbomb which you hadn't let us manipulate so that its effect would last for three days," Merry retorted.
Ignoring her input, Ginny continued. "And I have participated in the jokes you were telling in the Great Hall."
"Yeah, ONE joke and he didn't even hear it," Doria shot back, crossing her arms in front of her.
Ginny opened her mouth to object and then called herself to a halt. What was she doing, justifying her ideas to people who were only supposed to assist her with the plan? She was the leading person here, after all. Although Ginny had to admit that she hadn't acted like one so far.
"Gotta get a grip," she told herself and then faced her friends, her stormy expression showing her annoyance at their overtaking in the Anti-Malfoy plan.
"Instead of competing in making up the most hare-brained scheme of all and throwing around silly, good-for-nothing ideas like confetti, why don't you just think for a minute?" she hissed. " What do you think would happen if we sabotaged Malfoy's broomstick and he would have an accident due to that? They would investigate further for sure. And do you want to stake your Hogwarts career on our skill of destroying all traces? Because I don't," Ginny continued eyeing her room-mates, hard.
Merry, Regina, Leticia and even Doria squirmed slightly under her gaze. She was right. Their respect for Ginny was increasing involuntarily.
"Well, what do you suggest we do, then?" Merry asked placatingly, hoping to calm Ginny down.
Success.
Now that she was sure of her leadership, the red-haired girl relaxed and smiled lightly.
"Wouldn't it be better if he couldn't play because of an injury he has caused by himself?" she asked innocently and saw that her dorm-mates were pleased with her way of thinking.
She herself, however, wasn't. Some part of her, the kind and compassionate Ginny she had been neglecting for the past few days, was protesting vehemently against what she was planning to do.
"But he is a hateful git who enjoys nothing more than making everyone else miserable," Ginny told herself with faint exasperation at her failure to be indifferent towards Malfoy.
Maybe he's got a reason, her alter-ego argued.
Somehow, her inner voice always seemed to have a different opinion on things than Ginny believed she had.
"There is no good reason to bully others," she replied indignantly, but silently.
I didn't say it was a good one, the voice reminded her somewhat hurt and shut up.
Ginny's friends hadn't noticed her brief inner dialogue and had begun to search for possible accidents where Malfoy would get injured but where the suspicion wouldn't fall on them.
Hearing some of their ideas, Ginny shivered involuntarily. They really seemed to hate Malfoy. But why? As far as she could recall, he had never done anything to them, well, if you didn't count his indirect insulting of Merry and Reggie when he used the term 'Mudblood' and generally being an insufferable git.
However, the question is not why they hate him, but why you hate him, Ginny's alter-ego piped up again, apparently determined not to be silenced this time.
"I don't hate him. I just dislike him." Ginny answered mutinously.
Whatever. Question is, why?
Ginny rolled her eyes. "I would have thought that this should have been obvious."
Yeah, well, not everyone is so clever like you, Merlin. Care to elaborate?
"Because he's been insulting Harry, my family, my friends… and me," Ginny concluded.
Interesting how you've sorted out your priorities, the voice commented dryly.
Ginny felt her cheeks go pink and retreated to the privacy of her bed so that her friends wouldn't notice that she was arguing with an unseen companion. Not that they would have done so, anyway. They were too occupied with planning Malfoy's future accidents.
Ginny sighed. "Aren't you supposed to tell me what I should do instead of mocking me?" she asked her alter-ego.
But that's what I'm trying to do right now. You just don't want to listen.
"I'm all ears," Ginny replied wryly.
Alright. As your better half, I'll tell you the right thing to do. You mustn't take revenge on Draco Malfoy for others, the voice began, sounding authoritative.
"Why not?"
Don't interrupt me. Because Harry and your friends are well able to defend themselves and your family will have more honour in their lowest times than the Malfoys in their highest high.
Understood?
Ginny nodded mutely.
And as for yourself…I'm just saying that you have to fight the battles as they come. But don't do it for anyone else. Okay?
Again, Ginny just nodded, the voice's sudden friendliness startling her.
Now - green light to your plotting. And it had better be good. You have started a war with a very adept person. Be careful.
"Don't worry," Ginny thought back and grinned cheerfully.
For once, her inner voice had the same opinion as her on a topic. If that wasn't a good sign…
8>O<8